


Meant To Be

by flintwoodandco



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Flintwood, Light Angst, M/M, Meeting the Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 02:16:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9051301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flintwoodandco/pseuds/flintwoodandco
Summary: Marcus spends his first Christmas away from Hogwarts at the Wood household





	

“Nervous?” Oliver smiles softly from his side of the train compartment. 

Marcus stops his hands that had been wiping themselves on his legs and sighs. “Yeah,” he admits, glancing out the window. 

The snow-covered fields speed past them as the train heads towards Platform 9 ¾, winter break already in full swing. Marcus had planned on another Christmas at Hogwarts, but Oliver had insisted on coming to his house. Meeting the parents and all that. Marcus had almost said no at first, but he couldn’t resist Oliver’s pleading eyes and that was that. 

Thinking back, Marcus knows he really had no way out of the situation, but he hates the pit in his stomach. Even with Oliver there, he’s afraid of what the parents will think. He’s sure the negatives have preceded him and the last thing he wants is to be thrown out into the snow by Oliver’s parents. 

The train brakes screeching jerks Marcus from his thoughts and he freezes as the platform comes into view. Breathing becomes very difficult and he tries to focus on the floor, wanting nothing more than to be swallowed up by it.

“Marcus,” Oliver touches him as he comes onto Marcus’ side. “Hey, it’s going to be fine.”

Marcus slowly turns his head to meet Oliver’s eyes. “I just don’t want to ruin anything.” It comes out as a whisper and he sees the pain that passes on Oliver’s face.

“Nothing bad’s going to happen, Marcus, I promise,” Oliver is quick to reassure. He squeezes Marcus’ hand, the touch at least washing away the feeling of nausea. 

They ignore the other students filtering past and Marcus looks out at the bustling platform. Inhaling deeply, he nods his head, letting Oliver drop his hand to get the trunks down from above. Marcus figures he should help getting his own down and it’s not long before they’re caught in the movement of being shoved around.

The platform is busy with everyone finding their families and Marcus only manages to stay with Oliver by grabbing onto the hem of his sweater. He’s amazed at how well Oliver is getting through all of this. 

“Mum!” Oliver calls out and it’s then Marcus notices a woman with blond hair in a messy bun waving at Oliver just a little ways away from them. When the crowd finally breaks, the hug between Oliver’s mother and himself is long and Marcus feels a bit like he’s intruding. 

“This is Marcus,” Oliver motions when their hug is over, his face wide with a smile.

Marcus gives a polite wave and then stumbles back as Mrs. Wood wraps him a tight hug. “Oh, it’s so good to finally meet you.”

Wide-eyed, Marcus isn’t sure what to do with himself, freezing as Mrs. Wood pulls back and takes Marcus’ face in her hands. “Aren’t you just the sweetest?”

Oliver’s attempt to hide his laughter does not go unnoticed, but Marcus is grateful as Mrs. Wood finally lets go of him to glare at her son.

 

“I mean it, Oliver. He’s dating you after all.”

This time, it’s Marcus turn to laugh and he sees where Oliver gets some of his attitude from. Oliver’s face has turned red as he mumbles something that sounds like “Mother” while Mrs. Wood goes back to her cheery demeanor. 

“Let’s get home now. Your father couldn’t get out of work so we’re meeting him at the house.” 

Mrs. Wood is talking a mile a minute and Marcus doesn’t know what to pay attention to as she talks about everything she has to do before the day is over. Eventually, they make their way out of the station, taking a few muggle transports before reaching a small house in the countryside. It’s quaint, but it feels more like home that Marcus’ house ever did. A black dog rushes up to the gate and Oliver practically jumps the fence to greet the animal. 

The dog leaps up onto Oliver and they go crashing into the snowbanks, Mrs. Wood only giving a warning to brush off before coming into the house. As Oliver and his dog continue to play, Marcus breathes in the cold winter air, his mind finally calming. That is, until snow hits him in the face. 

Marcus swears, but when he sees Oliver laughing, Marcus grins and tackles Oliver into the same snowbank. The two wrestle with each other as the dog tries to join in as well and it’s only when Marcus pins Oliver to the ground that they pause. They stare at each other with small smiles on their faces, Oliver brushing the snow off of Marcus’ hair before they help each other up. The cold has finally got to them and they bustle into the house, the smell of something sweet hitting Marcus instantly. 

The dog goes running off and Marcus notices his trunk sitting at the bottom of the stairs. He feels guilty that Mrs. Wood brought it in all by herself and thinks of how to make it up to her later.

“Let’s put these away and then we can settle in,” Oliver motions as he starts carrying his own trunk up the stairs. 

Marcus follows, but maneuvering is tricky and he watches Oliver’s movements so he doesn’t knock anything over. Finally, they make it to Oliver’s bedroom and Marcus can’t help raising his eyebrows at what he sees.

“Do you really need this many posters of Krum?” 

Each of Oliver’s bedroom walls have some picture of Viktor Krum on them, either from magazine spreads or actual store bought posters. Marcus wonders how Oliver has any wall space left as even the door has some pictures as well. 

“It was a phase,” Oliver mumbles as he shoves his trunk under his bed. He takes Marcus’ trunk from him, pushing it under as well and then starts to pull some of the smaller pictures off the wall.

“Keep them up, Oliver,” Marcus sighs, setting his hand on top of Oliver’s moving one. “I was just messing around.”

Oliver looks at him once before slowly sticking the pictures back up and then grins at him. “Do you want to see what else I have then?”

Marcus lets out an exaggerated groan at this, but plops down on Oliver’s bed as Oliver brings out stacks upon stacks of Quidditch magazines. Flipping through each one, Oliver gushes about players, moves, seasons, that Marcus starts to doubt his own interest in the sport. He listens to everything Oliver says though, loving the sound of his voice and the brightness in his eyes. 

It isn’t long before the front door of the house opens, interrupting their session. Oliver beams as he realizes who it is and leaps off the bed. “Time to meet my dad then.”

Before Marcus can even start to process, Oliver is dragging him out of the room and down the stairs. Father and son embrace and Marcus tries to ignore the envy twisting in his stomach. Instead, he puts on a small smile as Oliver introduces him, shaking Mr. Wood’s hand. 

“Oliver’s told us so much about you,” Mr. Wood starts and to Oliver’s horror, goes into great detail with exactly how much Oliver has told them. 

Oliver tries to interrupt, but Mr. Wood is unstoppable at this point. Marcus can’t help smile at his embarrassed boyfriend and really wonders how the parents’ first impression isn’t one of dislike. After all, Marcus gave Oliver plenty of hard times before they started dating. 

“Of course, he’s told us about that time when Malfoy joined the team-”

Marcus quirks his eyebrow at Oliver, who looks very much like he just wants to die on the spot and tries to interrupt as well, but can’t get a word in edgewise. To their luck, Mrs. Wood shushes her husband from the kitchen to get everyone at the table for dinner and Mr. Wood is quick to follow through. As Mr. Wood departs, Oliver lets out a huge sigh.

“I’m sorry,” Oliver rubs his arm. “My dad, sometimes he-”

“It’s fine,” Marcus stops Oliver with the shake of his head. “He’s a good man that just cares about his son.”

Oliver blinks at this and Marcus gives him a quick peck on the lips as he follows Mr. Wood’s lead into the dining room, smiling as Oliver blushes even more. 

Dinner is a good time as Oliver’s parents are very interested about Marcus’ future, asking whatever questions they can and seeming genuinely curious. They’re fascinated by his interest between Falmouth and Montrose, giving their two cents and Marcus is struck by thoughts he hadn’t even considered. The meal itself is amazing and Marcus asks if he can help with cleaning up later as thanks, along with his need to not feel like a guest. As if sensing Marcus’ need to do something, Mrs. Wood agrees just as Mr. Wood mentions how he’s met Marcus’ father once or twice. 

To Marcus’ surprise, he doesn’t mind his father being brought up this once. At least, the way Mr. Wood talks about him makes Marcus laugh and it feels good to have that feeling again. Oliver stays fairly quiet throughout the meal, which Marcus notes for later, but they do share a smile every so often. 

Once the meal is finished, Marcus jumps into cleaning and finds it relaxing in the Wood household. Mrs. Wood is patient, grateful, and so much more than what Marcus is used to, even explaining why she cleans up the way she does. As he scrubs a dish, Marcus can’t help watching Oliver, who dries and puts away each dish while Mrs. Wood wraps up leftovers. Marcus feels a sense of belonging and figures he might do washing up more if it’s like this. 

When the kitchen is clean, Marcus and Oliver go back up to the bedroom, and Marcus is caught off-guard by a soft glow of stars filling the room. The lights cover every inch of the wall and occasionally a few stars actually leave the wall to shoot off to the others. 

“It’s a spell my mum put on it when I was little. I guess I’m just used to it now,” Oliver explains at Marcus’ captivated staring. 

Marcus sighs at this, thinking of his desolate bedroom back home and touches one of the stars that floats past him, wishing he could wrap it up for later. He can’t help the breathy laugh that leaves him as it twitches and the star shoots to the other side, blending in with the other stars. When Marcus looks at Oliver again, he realizes Oliver’s in his pajamas and figures he should change as well.

“We don’t have to go to bed yet. I’d just rather be comfortable.”

Marcus agrees to this statement, changing quickly before climbing onto Oliver’s bed with him. As soon as he lays down, Oliver drapes himself over him, resting his head on Marcus’ chest. They both breathe in as Marcus runs his hand along Oliver’s back and he plants a small kiss on Oliver’s head. Looking back up at the stars on the ceiling that slowly bounce around, Marcus thinks back to all that has happened in just one day. 

“Your parents are nice, Oliver,” Marcus mumbles, unfamiliar with this territory.

He thinks about his own life, the distance of his parents, how nowhere felt comfortable. At Oliver’s, Marcus knows he could lay outside on the road and feel at peace. He doesn’t want to go back to his parents’ come summertime. All he wants is to stay where Oliver is. 

“Thank you for bringing me home.”

Oliver looks up at Marcus and the two stare at each other before Oliver sets his head back down, tracing circles on Marcus’ chest. It’s really so wonderful and Marcus feels his eyelids grow heavy as several shooting stars pass along the ceiling. 

~

It takes a few days for Marcus to get used to being in the Wood household, his need to help growing with everything Mrs. Wood does. She insists on Marcus just relaxing, but eventually gives in. Somehow, Marcus roped himself into making pies and he watches with ardent interest as Mrs. Wood explains her recipes. 

“This means you get to make them for me all the time now, right, Marcus?” Oliver jokes from the table.

He’s half buried in Quidditch magazines and Marcus grins at this excellent idea. 

Before long, the pies are in the oven, Marcus now situated next to Oliver on the couch, who looks out the window with longing. 

“Let’s go for a walk,” Oliver motions. Marcus isn’t about to protest, feeling just a bit of cabin fever creeping on. 

When they get outside, Marcus takes in the frozen scenery with Oliver’s dog running a few paces ahead of them. 

“Where are we headed?” Marcus asks as he stares at the snow covered trees. 

“The local muggle village. It’s really not that bad,” Oliver smiles, his gloved hand reaching for Marcus’.

Marcus is only a little worried, but he trusts Oliver, especially when their fingers lace together. When they reach the outskirts of the village, it’s rather small, but picturesque if Marcus says so himself. It’s not too much different from Hogsmeade and Marcus wonders what a muggle village could have of interest. 

Oliver’s dog is quick to return to their side and Oliver starts explaining the various shops as they walk down the road. To Marcus’ surprise, almost everyone recognizes Oliver and he is stopped on several occasions for a chat. Oliver doesn’t even hesitate with introducing Marcus as his boyfriend, but the villagers seem politely interested if anything, asking where Marcus goes to school. As if having everything memorized, Oliver talks about some school in Southern England and Marcus is thankful when they’re finally on their way again. 

“See?” Oliver nudges his side, but Marcus isn’t sure if he really does. 

They stop only once in the local tea shop to grab something warm and Marcus watches with fascination as Oliver deals with muggle money. Oliver even lets him play around with his wallet at some point, Marcus trying to figure out the currency rates of the muggle world. Once they’re back out on the streets, hot beverages in hand, Marcus finds himself drawn into this simplistic life.

No magic to worry about, making due with what’s there, a part of him would almost trade his life for this as long as Oliver is with him. When he looks at Oliver, there is a smile on his face and Marcus cocks his head in confusion.

“What’s up?”

Oliver laughs at this, shaking his head. “Oh, just being with you. Makes me happy.”

Marcus rolls his eyes, but nudges Oliver’s side with a teasing grin. “You’re such a hopeless romantic.”

Pleased with this, Oliver takes a sip from his beverage and leads Marcus back down around the town square before going back home. 

They take turns throwing sticks for Oliver’s dog and Marcus’ heart jumps when Oliver’s home comes into view. He’ll never be over the sight of it, already planning out his future house in his mind. 

Mrs. Wood waves at them from the front door and ushers them inside, the prospect of freshly baked pie making Oliver and Marcus all but race to the kitchen to claim their slice first.  
~

Marcus is surprised he wakes up first and pulls Oliver back into him, despite how much Oliver is taking over the bed. Oliver mumbles something in his sleep, but Marcus dismisses it, opting instead to tuck his head right behind Oliver’s. Though the room is bright, the warmth is what lulls Marcus back to sleep until Oliver shoots up.

“Christmas!” Oliver exclaims. He turns to Marcus beaming. “We have to get up, I have to give you your present!”

Marcus groans a bit at this, but remembers the gift he has for Oliver and pushes himself out of bed as Oliver pulls on a sweater before bursting out of the bedroom. Marcus takes a moment to register the whirlwind that is Oliver before preparing for what awaits him downstairs. He takes out a box from the trunk, looking it once over and hoping he’s made the right choice. 

When he gets downstairs, Oliver’s parents, the dog, and Oliver himself are waiting by the Christmas tree and he flushes at the sudden attention. 

“Happy Christmas, Marcus,” Oliver tackles him into a hug and shoves a rather large box into his hands. “This one is from my parents.”

Marcus’ mouth drops open and he can’t help staring at Oliver’s parents. “You-you didn’t, I-I-”

Marcus tries to think of something to say, as thanks, to apologize, but nothing comes and Mrs. Wood then comes over to hug him. “Don’t you worry about anything, Marcus. Just having you here is enough for us.”

His grip on the box tightens as his heart skips at these words and starts slowly tearing off the paper after Mrs. Wood pulls away. He holds his breath, never being more excited for a gift and feels hot tears prick at the corner of his eyes when he takes off the lid. 

Inside the box is a handknitted sweater and scarf in the team colors of Montrose and Falmouth respectively. Marcus runs his fingers along the fabric, speechless and he lifts his head to thank Oliver’s parents. 

“We’ll cheer for you, no matter who you choose,” Mrs. Wood smiles.

With Mrs. Wood’s words, tears spill down Marcus’ face and he feels just so happy. All his hard work has been worth it, even if he had to be held back another year. Oliver gets a bit misty-eyed himself and before Marcus knows it, he’s wrapped up in a family hug. This is all he wanted for Christmas. 

He takes to shoving his face into Oliver’s shoulder as the parents move away, mumbling out a small thank you as they do so. 

Once he calms down just a little, Marcus lets Oliver take the box in his hands only to replace it with a smaller one.

“Oliver,” Marcus gives him a stern look, but not without a small grin after, and Oliver only seems pleased with himself as he rocks on his feet. 

Taking in a deep breath, Marcus starts to open this gift, noting how Oliver’s parents edge their way out of the room. 

“Oh,” Marcus breathes when he digs through the packaging, his fingers touching something cool. 

What Marcus sees makes him laugh and Oliver can only be offended as he asks, “What?”

Marcus takes his own present for Oliver out of his pocket, not having the time to wrap it up as nicely as Oliver’s. Oliver tentatively takes the box, as Marcus pulls out what Oliver gave him, placing it around his neck. 

“You didn’t, you bastard,” Oliver grins when he opens his gift, dangling a small, silver locket in front of him. 

It’s an exact copy of the one he’s given to Marcus and the two can’t help kissing each other right then and there. 

“Oh, Marcus Flint, I love you,” Oliver breathes when their kiss ends. 

Marcus can only smile at this, mumbling an, “I love you too,” back to Oliver and they break apart when the teapot in the kitchen starts whistling. 

They both flush at this, hoping Oliver’s parents didn’t hear too much and Mrs. Wood calls to say breakfast is ready. 

As he sits down at the table, Marcus knows he really has to do something special for Oliver’s parents. In such a short time, he feels as if this were his family all his life and he can’t help toying around with his new gift. Oliver seems to have the same sentiment as well as they smile at each other while the parents talk about what’s going to happen for the rest of the holiday. 

Struggling to think of how to repay the Woods, Marcus’ thoughts trail to the muggle village and he thinks, with the help of Oliver, he’ll know just what to do.

**Author's Note:**

> For deanthomasfinnigan!!! Thank you for being a gr8 friend!!
> 
> [Tumblr](http://flintwoodandco.tumblr.com)


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